


shared trauma

by C0SMICNYU



Series: marvelverse [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Aromantic Harry Osborn, Bisexual Peter Parker, Everyone Loves Peter Parker, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Past Rape/Non-con, Peter Parker Feels, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Flash Thompson, Protective Harry Osborn, Sam Wilson is a Gift, flash is a concerned friend, fuck skip, harry and peter are so fluffy its so cute, harry is an awesome friend, i hate skip, please read the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28088835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C0SMICNYU/pseuds/C0SMICNYU
Summary: Flash Thompson and Peter Parker were teens on different sides of the social spectrum.Thompson was on the uppity up side, with riches and popularity. While Parker was on the lower scale, nerd and middle class.There was one thing they had in common other than smarts: shared trauma.Flash Thompson and Peter Parker, are both victims. There was one guy behind it all and his name is Skip fucking Westcott.
Relationships: Harry Osborn & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Flash Thompson
Series: marvelverse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057787
Kudos: 67





	shared trauma

**Author's Note:**

> hi!
> 
> i really like the protective avengers trope and the everyone loves peter one cause its so fricking true??? like,, just yeah. so read the tags and yes, skip is mentioned. along with what he did but it won't go too in depth. pleas ekeep it in mind though and if it makes you uncomfy, you're free to click off.

Flash Thompson and Peter Parker were teens on different sides of the social spectrum.

Thompson was on the uppity up side, with riches and popularity. While Parker was on the lower scale, nerd and middle class.

There was one thing they had in common other than smarts: shared trauma.

Flash Thompson and Peter Parker, are both victims. There was one guy behind it all and his name is Skip fucking Westcott.

They were both victims that dealt with their trauma differently. Peter caved in and showed his preference for his books and own company. Flash coped with a flurry of fists and a tough exterior.

It happened years ago, they were kids. 12 year olds. Flash thought he had it all behind him but now that he was on this tour through Stark Industries, he was reeling.

He was worried that Peter was being forced to do things against his own will, seeing the hesitance and meek demeanor. It triggered something in him.

It was like they were 12 again. Like they were there again. It just hit too close to home and he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling.

Before Flash knew it, his hand was raised and he was picked to ask a question. "Are you doing this on your own will? Are you... Happy with the arrangement?" He asked, directing it towards Peter.

At first everyone was confused. They knew the pair had a rocky relationship, built on sarcastic jibes and quiet retaliation. So seeing Flash express concern for Peter was surprising.

Peter was confused too but seeing the look in Flash's eyes, he immediately knew. Like Flash felt, it was like he was thrown back into the past. He's never seen that amount of vulnerability and fear in Flash's eyes since their last joint therapy session.

"Um, answer the question, kid." He heard from the side and it was like he was snapped back into reality.

"Yes. I'm okay with the arrangements we have here in Stark Industries. The facilities are great and the company is amazing, everyone works efficiently and cooperates well. There's nothing to dislike." Peter answered, sincerity shining in his eyes.

The message was received by Flash, which washed a wave of relief over him. He wasn't being forced. The sincerity in Peter's eyes was reassuring and that was enough for him. He nodded in response and took his seat, taking the back burner for now.

It was at times like this that Peter was grateful for Flash.

He may seem like a prickly person akin to a baby cactus, constantly insulting Peter in the hallways and discounting his achievements... But to Peter, it was comforting.

It was a constant in his life that he couldn't bear to part with. He relied on the consistency of Flash's harsh words and it may seem toxic, but what was there in his life that wasn't? He wasn't Peter Parker if there wasn't Flash Thompson there to trip him in the hallway. He was a constant that was always present ever since they were kids and Peter would never have it any other way.

The more observant people watched the interaction curiously.

The Avengers were watching from the living room, mixed feelings scattered across the group. Tony was definitely the most confused though, the creases on his forehead was proof enough.

"That was... An odd exchange." Steve commented, pondering on the look the pair shared. It was familiar to him. Looks of pure concern and unadulterated sincerity.

"Looks like the tour's done." Clint said. "Should we call him up?"

"Too late for that, Birdy. The kid's gone." Sam pointed at the exit, where Peter made a quick beeline for.

"Next best thing then. FRIDAY, call the Thompson kid to a conference room. Let's interrogate him." Tony said.

"Understood. Redirecting now to conference room 5."

The group rode the elevator to the specified floor and entered the room where a teen sat in boredom. 

Flash knew he should be surprised and fanboy or something but he knew the situation was serious and that it had to be about Peter.

The adults gathered around in front of him, expectant gazes glued on him.

Flash sighed. "You creepy stalkers, probably have live feed on Peter watching him every second huh? Baby monitors?"

The group even had the audacity to feign innocence.

Flash rolled his eyes before returning to his headspace. If they were here, it meant they didn't know and they wanted him to tell them.

"Peter didn't tell you about it. What makes you think I will?"

"We don't even know what it is? Maybe he has, we just need context. It's not everyday someone asks whether they're in SI willingly or through force." Rhodey shrugged.

Flash mulled it over before realizing that this was better for the long run. This way, Peter would have more people to talk about it other than his two nerd buds in Midtown.

With a deep breath, he looked at the Avengers seriously. "Peter might seriously dislike me, more so than he already does after this and no, he won't be mad because Pete doesn't get mad. Unless you fuck up real bad."

He noticed Steve Rogers' minute flinch at his statement which he filed away for a later date.

"We met when we were kids. Wide eyed kindergarten kids. Peter was always there and he struggled to make friends cause his speech was more advanced than the kids in our age group. I wasn't a super genius like Peter but I was able to keep up with him, y'know?" Flash smiled at the walk down memory lane. "There was never a moment we were apart after the day I lent him my 180 pack of Crayola to draw a weapon for Captain America."

The Captain's ears piqued, eyes wide. "He was a huge fucking fan. Like a die hard fan. The first poster he bought for his bedroom literally has your face on it."

Steve's ears turned red, eliciting a few giggles and snorts from the group.

"So yeah, fast forward to 12 years old." Flash sighed.

The adults noticed the change in his demeanor and general atmosphere.

"We were fine and all... Up until the day we met Skip fucking Westcott."

He took a deep breath, the guy's face resurfacing. His fucking eyes that used to look at them with what he thought was harmless adoration that turned out to be predatory. His hands that helped them reach too high books, turned into nightmare fuel for both the kids.

He was the bogeyman that people never talked about because he was a normal, functioning person in society and in public. Flash visibly shuddered at the memories.

"Take your time. We can stop this if it bothers you this much." Sam says, noticing the kid's emotional distress.

The Avengers gave scattered agreements to Sam's suggestion. Flash raised one hand up, catching his breath.

Breathe. "Okay." Breathe. "It's fine." Breathe.

"Skip was a teen older than us by years. He was our friend, then our babysitter. Peter's aunt and uncle used to work around the clock and my parents were already absolute shit, so the babysitting thing worked. He was charismatic and really nice. But hindsight is fucking 20/20, so we didn't see past his exterior before that fucking day." Flash spat.

"It was a warm sunny day in the summer. It was 38 degrees and the sun was high, so we were stuck inside Peter's house during one of the joint babysitting sessions."

"By the time this day came, Skip already laid his hand on Peter. He laid his hand on Peter a lot. He roped me in cause he felt like he needed another kid to torment. He lived off of our fear and cries. He was... Everything our parents warned us to never interact with."

Silence was the answer to what he said.

Tony wasn't sure what to feel. His gut bubbled with fear, sadness, grief and the surfacing feeling was pure rage.

"Before you go batshit crazy, let me finish my piece. Then you can talk to Peter. Don't overwhelm him, I'll just add that there."

"So we were both kids and that shit happened. I won't go too in depth. Pete can tell you if he wants. I'm just sharing the gist of things and the skeleton in our closet."

"We didn't tell anyone at first cause we thought we were alone and that no one would believe us. But seeing one another in the same situation... It gave us a whole courage boost to tell Peter's aunt and uncle, along with the authorities."

"Skip was arrested on the 18th of August. I didn't feel anything when he was shoved into the police car and he hit his head on the roof cause he was being a piss baby about it. Just like that, our demon was gone and we thought we were safe." Flash said, fake enthusiasm brightening his face before dropping into a scowl.

"Then the nightmares came and we had to see a fucking shrink. Tuesdays and Fridays, 6 to 8. One hour sessions each, then a joint one hour."

"The talking worked, albeit in different ways."

"Different how?" Wanda asked quietly.

Flash shrugged. "Peter retreated into himself. Confided in his own person, introverted and all. He grew a cold resentment towards Einstein and just shut himself out from the world."

"I rebuilt myself from scratch. I wasn't the slowpoke Skip called me. I am Flash Thompson."

He was once again greeted with silence which stony broke.

"Is that why Peter hates being called Einstein? Cause that fucker used to call him that?" Bucky asked.

"That much is obvious. Other than his obvious hatred towards Einstein, he developed that self-deprecating behavior of his. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’re not acknowledging it because all of you are scared of confrontation.” Flash rolled his eyes. “One thing I know for sure is Harry Osborn was Peter’s rock and ever since he left New York, Pete’s just… Retreated again.”

“Osborn? Harry Osborn? As in the Oscorp heir?” Pepper asked.

Flash shrugged. “Harry’s cool. The two used to like each other but I’m pretty sure Harry’s aroace. We’ve kept in touch since he left and shit like that. But his presence is what grounded Peter. He visits occasionally and Peter’s brain is fine with that. When Harry’s not here, he turns to me. I’m more of an abrasive person, so I don’t coddle Pete and he needs it. Heaven knows he needs more hugs than he receives on a daily basis.”

The adults noticed the rambling on the teen’s part. He was spouting random facts about Peter that they didn’t know and they were sort of thankful for it. It wasn’t everyday you get info from someone.

“Anyway yeah. I wanted to thank you actually.” Flash said wistfully.

“Thank us?” Natasha asked,

“Yep. Y’all don’t notice it but Pete looks up to you. He’s looked up to you since we were kids. Now, you’re the people that serve as his friends or surrogate family or whatever dynamic you got going on. Whatever it is, it’s good for Pete and you’re pulling him from his shell again. Thanks.”

Sam could see that this was hard for Flash. His body language was tense and there was an evident discomfort in the way he regarded them. But he knew the kid was sincere. He was trying to convey his emotions despite knowing that he was stunted in that department and Sam smiled at that.

“Thanks for telling us this, Flash. We’ll talk to Pete.” Bruce said with a reassuring smile. Flash nodded and walked towards the door, pausing for a while.

“I’ll call Harry. Let them talk for a while before you interrogate him.”

“Okay.”

The door shut and the somber mood thickened.

Tony was still shaken up, more than the others. Not to discredit their concern for the young teen but Tony was sort of a father figure for the kid and having to find out he was a victim of sexual abuse at age 12 from another victim was just too much.

He could fly a nuke into a fucking portal but he couldn’t even talk to his kid.

Sam sighed. He didn’t need to be a therapist to see that his friends were distraught. “Let’s go to the upper floors okay? We’ll talk at dinner. Whoever bumps into Peter first, directs him to me. Understood?”

The adults nodded numbly, shuffling into the elevator. Once they arrived at their specific floors, they immediately retreated to their personal chambers. Natasha stayed behind along with Clint and Sam.

“God, the kid’s gone through hell and back yet he still manages to place a smile on his face, go to school and save people around the clock.” Clint muttered, opening a can of coke.

“Peter hasn’t talked to anyone in a long time. I’m expecting a breakdown which is easier to deal with if we’re the only ones in the room. Then I can direct him to you guys and we can talk things out.” Sam uttered, leaning into the seat. He was hoping things would work out.

-

Peter sat on the rooftop of an abandoned building, staring down at the bustling city. He turned to the horizon, the sun slowly dipping down. He sighed, fixing the hood on his head.

He jolted upright when he felt his phone vibrate. His phone was on Do not Disturb at the moment and the only important contacts he let through were Aunt May, Ned and Harry.

“Hello?”

“Hey, spidey. I heard you went through quite the ordeal today.”

Peter turned so quickly it felt like he got whiplash. “How?” He stuttered.

Harry Osborn laughed. “I’m a billionaire’s son. I have like 4 private jets. Now scoot.”

Peter felt comfort upon hearing his friend’s voice. He knew Flash had a hand in this. He also had a feeling Flash told them about his less than stellar past. He should feel angry but they were bound to know. Peter was just stalling the inevitable. Instead, he was grateful. At least he didn’t need to be there to see the horrified looks on their faces upon knowing or have to deal with the immediate aftermath.

“Flash called?”

“He sure did. So did Ned and MJ. I’m here for you, love. I’ll be here when you want to talk to me.”

That was the thing with Harry. He was just there. A presence. He didn’t need to talk. He just had to be there.

Their fingers touched for a split second before Harry fully entwined his hand into Peter’s.

There was no malice. It was all platonic and the pair had one of the healthiest friendships ever. It was built on comfort and honesty, no secrets barred between the two.

  
They continued to sit in silence, watching the sun fully set. An hour passed, Peter’s head on Harry’s lap as the latter carded his hand through the former’s soft brown hair.

“Thanks for being here, Harry.” Peter muttered.

“I’ll always be here. You better count on that. I’ll be the best man in your wedding and I’ll be your first kid’s godfather and I’ll be there for every milestone you make, congratulating you.”

Peter sighed, knowing he had to face the Avengers after this. “You want me to come with you?” Harry asked as though he read Peter’s mind.

“Nah. I’ll call you after and we’ll cross the bridge when we get there?”

Harry sighed before smiling. “Word of advice, Pete. You can’t keep going into shit headfirst.”

“But that’s my literal defining trait.”

“Touche.”

“See you?” Peter said, arms open for a hug. Harry smiled and engulfed his friend in a tight hug.

“Go get your shit done. I’ll be nearby.”

Peter grinned and swung away, webs latching onto buildings. Harry sighed for the nth time that day. There was never a dull day with Peter Parker.

\--

Peter arrived on the Stark Tower rooftop a few minutes later. He was on the elevator, the slow pace making him jittery. He made his way to the kitchen where Sam, Natasha and Clint were lounging around. The heroes turned to him with warm smiles, Natasha passing him a cup of hot cocoa.

“We’ll be in our rooms. FRIDAY, tell us when we can come down and tell Tony to order food.” Clint said, ruffling Peter’s hair before leaving Sam alone with him.

The Falcon gave Peter a small smile. “Sit, Peter. Let’s talk.”

The teen nodded and took the seat across Sam, sipping the hot chocolate Natasha gave him. “Flash told you?”

Sam nodded. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Not really but you’ve helped people right? People with PTSD?”

“I have. Do you want me to help?”

“Um… I don’t really know how this works. Do I just talk?”

“Yeah. Just tell me what you’re feeling right now.”   
  


Peter leaned into the seat, looking drowned in the hoodie he was wearing. “I really thought I put it behind me, you know? But seeing the look in Flash’s eyes earlier just shot me back into the past. It was like we were 12 and helpless again. I hated it so much. I hated seeing the vulnerability that I saw on his face cause he wasn’t vulnerable. He hasn’t been in years. Fear just came over me. No, not fear. It’s more frustration. I’m frustrated cause I thought I was doing really good, coping well. Then one look from Flash and everything just flooded in.”

Tears formed in the corner of his eyes, throat lodged with a lump. “I vowed that day that I would never allow anyone close to me to face the amount of fear, loathing and vulnerability I felt when I was under Skip.”

By now, he was fully crying. The tears blurred his vision and he could feel himself tremble. “I’m so fucked. I’m fucked up.” His heart raced and his breathing was ragged.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, pulling him from his panic attack. “Breathe, kid. Breathe. I won’t say you’re not fucked up but let me tell you something.” Sam said softly. “All the Avengers, all the heroes you know are fucked up one way or another. We’re all plagued by our own demons, much like you are. But there’s one thing you have that we don’t.”

Peter looked up, eyes glazed over.

“You have compassion, Pete. You love so much, you could explode because of it. You give and give and give until there’s nothing left of yourself to love. Those fucked up pieces of you? Embrace them kid. You don’t need to feel happy about it. You just need to acknowledge them. Letting them have their way and control you is one of the worst things in the world. So you have to face that part of yourself and accept it. It’s part of you now, Pete. We love every piece of you, even the dark ones. We won’t condemn you for getting angry now but you have to come to terms with it eventually.”

“Like how Tony came to terms with himself?” Peter asked.

Sam chuckled. “Yes, kid. We all come to terms with our own demons and they eventually get tired of tormenting us cause we’re no longer scared of them. How can we help people out of the dark if we don’t save ourselves first.”

Peter sat in contemplative silence. He understood what Sam was saying. He had to face his fears, his darkness. Sam was right.

“You’ll help me?” He asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“Every step of the way, kid. We’re your family and family helps one another.”

Peter smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Then let’s go talk to the heroes who are probably watching right now.” Sam said, looking into one of the numerous cameras of the tower. Peter giggled as the Avengers entered the kitchen, sheepish looks on their faces. Not even a minute later, the group was already bickering and settling into their respective seats around the huge table. Peter smiled, looking down into his cup of hot chocolate.

_ Family… If this is family, Peter really liked it. _


End file.
